"Indeed! Mother's careful consideration and meticulous planning have always been impeccable!" Qin Wenyuan declared excitedly, "Now, we just need to wait for the imperial edict to come and arrange the wedding!"
"Yeah." Old Madam Qin nodded slightly, her eyes revealing satisfaction.
Sheng Yunrong devoted herself to the Qin family and worked hard for thirteen years, finally earning enough wealth for several generations of the Qin family to enjoy.
This Qin family has become the exclusive world of these two mothers!
"The Imperial Edict has arrived!"
"Please ask Qin family mistress Sheng Yunrong to accept the order!"
Outside the door, the imperial edict was read out in a majestic and melodious voice.
"Hurry, hurry, open the door immediately!" Old Madam Qin couldn't wait to see the pain on Sheng Yunrong's face, and hurriedly asked the servants to open the tightly closed door of the Qin Mansion again.
The onlookers looked at the soldiers on horseback carrying promotion tokens and looking towards the gate of Qin's mansion, and they talked a lot, and the noise was one after another.
"Sir, Madam Qin is not in the mansion!"
"That's right! She just left not long ago!"
The soldier held the reins tightly and asked anxiously, "Where is she?"
The crowd automatically made way for a passage as if they had agreed beforehand, revealing three somewhat lonely figures at the end.
"Mom..." Qin Moyuan called out weakly, the guilt and regret in his heart becoming stronger and stronger.
It must be because of my elder brother’s imprisonment!
Mom...I'm going to be sad again...
Sheng Yunrong turned around, knelt down and bowed her head solemnly: "I am Sheng Yunrong, accept your order!"
The soldiers unfolded the imperial edict, and everyone's faces showed confusion, excitement, agitation, fear, or anger.
"Madam Qin is a person who strictly observes etiquette and behaves properly. She is the most intelligent and insightful person that this palace admires. I hereby invite Madam Sheng to come to the palace for a chat. The Queen Mother has appointed her!"
"What?!"
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, there was an uproar at the scene.
Especially Madam Qin, Qin Wenyuan and Qin Huaiyu, who were standing at the door ready to laugh at Sheng Yunrong's joke. Their expressions were unpredictable, as dazzling as colorful black jade, yet extremely ugly!
How is that possible!
This is not the emperor's decree to hold Qin Fengyun accountable, but the queen's decree to invite Sheng Yunrong to the palace? !
How could the Queen invite a completely ignorant Sheng Yunrong into the palace? !
There must have been some unknown incident that made Sheng Yunrong gain the favor of the most respected Queen!
The Qin family was so jealous that they saw stars in their eyes, but this high-profile and eye-catching gift made Sheng Yunrong feel torn.
"I, a humble woman... accept your order!" Sheng Yunrong knelt down and kowtowed heavily.
Amid the surprised and curious gazes of the crowd, she solemnly took the imperial edict with a firm and calm expression.
Let's go, respected Madam Qin. The Queen is waiting in the palace to have a chat with you. The soldier reminded respectfully.
specially?
Old Madam Qin's eyes widened so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets.
What exactly is Sheng Yunrong's reason? !
Qin Wenyuan couldn't help but feel deep doubts in his heart.
Sheng Yunrong was an extremely stupid woman, and there was not a single quality in her that was worthy of his love.
However, he would never allow himself to be seen as a fragile piece of mud and be looked down upon!
You don’t want your treasure to remain undiscovered but be taken away by others first!
After all, she was the person he had spent thirteen years carefully keeping by his side, so how could he tolerate her controlling him?
"Sheng Yunrong, since you have a friendship with the Queen, why don't you lend a helping hand to the Qin family and help them with their official career? Are you going to let your husband be relegated to a fifth-rank position?" Old Madam Qin was emotional and scolded loudly without caring about her face.
She had already expected that Sheng Yunrong was not an easy person to deal with, but she didn't expect that she would be so selfish!
If Wen Yuan was not kind-hearted, he should have disciplined Sheng Yunrong strictly at the beginning. Otherwise, how could she have controlled the Qin family for thirteen years?
She had already become their loyal, obedient and filial daughter-in-law, serving them with treasures in her hands.
When Qin Wenyuan heard this, he suddenly realized that he had been repeatedly frustrated on his road to the imperial examination, while Sheng Yunrong's business was booming and attracted many officials' families.
However, she managed to secure him a fifth-rank official position.
Moreover, she often suppressed him and reminded him not to act rashly to avoid disaster.
And what about herself?
I unexpectedly received the Queen's decree on the street!
Her business and influence in the political world were well known to everyone, but...
Qin Wenyuan clenched his fists. His male dignity and pride were ruthlessly trampled upon by Sheng Yunrong, leaving almost nothing behind.
He blamed all his dissatisfaction on Sheng Yunrong and hated himself for not seeing through her true colors sooner and thinking that she loved him sincerely.
He is so scheming and has a heart of a vicious snake!
Sheng Yunrong felt the coldness emanating from Qin Wenyuan, but she did not ignore it.
The hair on her back stood up and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead like pearls.
She originally wanted to bring down the Qin family quietly, but she didn't expect that she would become a victim in this game.
She had only met the Queen Mother at court banquets and had never met her at other times.
Although she didn't know the reason, she must not let them doubt her.
If they knew that she had completely escaped from control, they would never give up!
"I... I don't know what crime I have committed that the Empress Dowager personally issued an imperial decree to summon me to the palace to receive instruction?" Sheng Yunrong's voice trembled, and her tone was filled with fear that was hard to conceal.
Her eyes were blurry and sad, and her face was as pale as paper, as if she was carrying all the sins in the world, making her almost unable to stand on her own.
The soldier beside him frowned and was about to speak, but was interrupted by Sheng Yunrong's voice.
“I know clearly that my eldest son has committed an irreparable mistake! I am willing to accept punishment, but I ask Her Majesty not to blame my husband and mother for this crime… They… know nothing about it. Feng Yun was raised by me personally, and it was me… who caused the mistake he made today…” Two crystal tears rolled down Sheng Yunrong’s eyes, and a hint of real emotion appeared in her acting.
"I will follow you, my lord..." Sheng Yunrong walked with difficulty due to the pain.
Xiang Zhu and Qin Moyuan hurriedly followed. The two injured people were traveling with a maid, and the situation looked particularly miserable.
Old Madam Qin became suspicious.
Was her previous speculation wrong?
Sheng Yunrong didn't seem to know the Queen Mother. She was summoned into the palace just because the Queen Mother heard about the scandal of the young master of the Qin family and summoned her to reprimand her?
"I've said it before, how could Madam Qin know the Empress? If she did, how could Qin Wenyuan be just a fifth-rank official who hasn't been promoted in more than a decade?"
"That's right! It turns out that the Queen, out of concern for the people, learned of the Qin family's young master's ugly deeds and summoned someone to the palace to give him a lecture!"
"The reputation and style of our Western Wei Dynasty that has lasted for a hundred years cannot be ruined by a naughty boy!"
"Indeed!"
The soldier's words were stuck in his throat, and he could hardly speak.
The public's emotions were already boiling. If he continued to argue that the imperial edict did not mean what it seemed, he would only bring shame upon himself.
The soldier secretly glanced at Sheng Yunrong who was following behind him.
Who exactly is this eldest lady of the Qin family?